You will always be mine
by otakufangurlfujoshi23
Summary: Haruka starts planning on how he can propose to Rin, but then he goes and gets into an accident. Haruka doesn't know what to do and is at his wits end now. He had never almost lost the other before and he isn't taking it well. Meanwhile, Kou and Makoto are starting to get close. When Rin gets back to himself, how will he feel about it? Also, will Rin say yes, when Haruka proposes?
1. Chapter 1

"H-Haru..." The red haired male started to pant as he tried to push his lover away. There was a light blush on his cheeks and his eyes were glazing over. It only took one touch from the other male and his body submitted instantly. "Haru st-ah!" His back arched and his cheeks turned an even darker pink. He looked up at the other and pouted a bit.

The raven looked down, watching every reaction that his love was giving. He finally bent down and latched his mouth onto one of his nipples. It didn't take very long for the nub to harden and he heard the other gasp. The raven grinned and glanced up at the other's face, which was turning redder by the minute. He had to admit, he enjoyed how the other's body reacted to him.

He started to suck on the nipple, twirling his tongue around it, while he lifted his hand and played with the other one. His ears picked up on what sounded like a stiffled moan and it didn't surprise him. He felt a hand grab onto his locks of hair and also felt the gentle tug that came with it. The bulge in his pants grew larger, as he felt himself getting even more turned on.

Pulling away from the other's touch, he looked down at the mess that was his lover. "I think you're more then ready, don't you Rin?" He chuckled softly and leaned over, so that he could caress the male's cheek.

Rin blushed from ear to ear when he heard Haru speak, but he managed a nod. He averted his eyes and then suddenly felt a hand on his cheek. He lifted his own hands and pulled Haru's hand to his lips, kissing it gently. "I love you, Haru..." He looked up at the raven and smiled.

 **The following afternoon...**

"Haru! I'm going to head over to the store to do some shopping, okay?" Rin called out to Haru, who was sitting out back, in the patio area.

The raven haired male looked up, having been lost in his own thoughts. "Alright..." He looked over at Rin and smiled lightly. He watched him disappear from view and then let out a sigh. Pulling something from his hoodie pocket, he looked down at it. It was a little white box and it was shaped like a square. What it held inside was an engagement ring. After almost three years of dating Rin, Haruka knew that he was 'the one'.

He had always knew though. Ever since they had met in school. There was just something different about Rin. Something so different, that Haruka had never seen such a thing before. Haruka was never one to care about much, or show much emotion. When Rin was around though, all of that seemed to change in an instant.

When Rin had left for Australia, he didn't know what he would do. He thought that he had screwed up somewhere and he no longer wanted anything to do with him. When Rin had came though, he showed up at Haruka's door, explaining everything that had happened. Haruka had no idea that Rin had been shouldering such things on his own. That was when he had confessed his love to the other. Surprisingly enough though, Rin had said that he felt the same way. Haruka had no idea that the other would feel the same way. All this time, he had perpared himself for the worst. The possibility that Rin wouldn't want to be bothered with him anymore. The fact that didn't happen though, it overjoyed the raven so much.

Here they are now, three years later. Haruka didn't want to scare Rin off though, so he was unsure of when the right time would be. He wanted to make sure that it was a special day, probably in the evening, to propose to him.

Loud sirens burst through the raven's thoughts and he jumped a bit when he felt his cellphone start to vibrate. He took the phone from his pocket and picked it up. "Hello?" "Is this Haruka Nanase?" "Yes, who is this?" "There has been a horrible accident and you are needed at the hospital for Rin Matsuoka." Feeling a lump grow in his throat, Haruka quickly hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket. Getting up from the chair, he ran from the patio, completely forgetting about the ring in the box, that had fallen into the grass.


	2. Chapter 2

Haruka ran into the hospital and up to the front desk. "Where is Rin Matsuoka staying?" His voice was in a panic and the smile that was on the nurses face slipped into a frown. "He's in surgery right now. Come this way." She motioned for him to follow her as she hurried down the hallway. "When he came in, to be honest, we already thought that he had passed on." The nurses words hit Haruka like a ton of bricks and he instantly felt sick. "Do you know what happened?" It didn't sound like Rin at all, to be so careless while walking down the street. "A drunk driver hit him." Once she finished speaking, she came to a stop outside of a room. "This is where he will be brought when they are done."

Forcing a smile to her face, the nurse knew that what the male needed was reassurance. He was obviously very upset and she needed to try and calm him down, regardless of what the outcome might be. "I'm sure that he'll pull through, especially since he has a friend like you." She pat him on the back and then left the room.

Haruka stood there in the doorway, for what felt like ages. This couldn't be happening...now of all times...

Some time passes...

Haruka glances up at the clock and realizes that half an hour had passed already. He's still in surgery? Or maybe...

He quickly shook his head and forced the last part out of his head. What he needed was some kind of support. Nagisa? No...he'd just be a pain. He'd only get Haruka more upset. He flipped open his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he stopped at one number. He pressed the button and dialed the number, putting the phone to his ear. Hearing the other end ring, he prayed that he would be home.

After six long rings, someone picked up the phone. "Hello?"

Haruka opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out. "Hello?" The voice repeated it.

"Makoto, Rin's been in a car accident." Haruka felt his throat close up and tears threatened to fall. He squeezed his eyes shut and sniffled. "What? An accident? I'll be right down Haru!" As he spoke, Haruka could hear things being moved. "Stay there and wait for me okay?" Haruka nodded, unaware of the other not being able to physically see it. He hung up the phone and stared down into his lap. Would he not be able to ask Rin to marry him?

For the first time in his life, Haruka was frightened. He didn't want to lose Rin. He couldn't even imagine a world without him. He staggered into the room and collapsed into a chair, running a hand through his hair. Tears finally appeared in his eyes and he hung his head, burying his face in his hands. 'Please...I need him...please...' He kept repeating the words inside of his head. The tears flowed down his cheeks and they wouldn't stop. The more he wiped them away, the more they came. He had never broken down like this and he didn't think it was possible.

The nurses words kept repeating themselves in the male's head, which didn't help matters any.

Suddenly, a couple of nurses ran past the room. Haruka heard commotion in the hallway and got up, wondering what was going on. He stepped out of the room and ran down the hall, following the nurses. They stopped outside of a surgical room and Haruka stood completely still at what he seen before him.

"He's flat lined! Get the doctor back in here immediately!" The same nurse was there that had just talked to Haruka. Another nurse ran in, panicked. "Damn! We had just finished the surgeries! Was this all for nothing?"

No, it couldn't have been for nothing. Haruka's entire reason for living was in on that table. He couldn't die on him. He promised to always be together with him. "You promised. You promised Rin!" Haruka yelled the words and one of the nurses started to usher him out. "Come now, we're doing everything we can." "No! You're not doing enough!" Haruka shook her off and looked back at the red haired male one last time, before the door shut, blocking off his view.

"Haru?" Makoto ran down the hallway and up to the raven haired male. "What are you doing down here?" Haruka didn't answer and just leaned back against the wall, letting himself slide down onto the floor. He flat lined. He had to come back. He just had to.

Makoto realized that the male wasn't seeing him and decided to just sit next to him. He'd be there when he came around.

 **Moments pass...**

Tears suddenly started to spill down Haruka's cheeks again and he sniffled, burying his face into his knees. He sobbed quietly, hugging his knees tightly.

A frown fell upon Makoto's face and he looked up at the door that they were sitting across from. He heard people rushing around inside and people yelling. 'That must be where Rin is', the brown haired male thought to himself. Haru didn't get upset about too many things, so Makoto knew that this was really hurting him. He lifted a hand and set it on the other's shoulder, pulling him in for a hug. "I'm here now, okay? I'm here if you need me."

Haruka sniffled a couple more times and then raised his head, looking up at Makoto. "He flat lined... I-I'm so scared Makoto...I don't know what to do." Fresh tears filtered in his eyes and he ran a shaky hand through his hair. "I don't want to lose him." He fell silent and then said, "I was planning on proposing to him. But now-" His voice broke off and his face contorted into a pained expression.

"Oh Haru..." Makoto wrapped his arms around his best friend and held him tightly. "He'll be alright. You'll get your chance. Don't give up on him yet, okay?" "You didn't see him though, Makoto. He looks so messed up..." His voice started to crack and tears started to trickle down his cheeks again. He buried his face into Makoto's chest and cried, while the other male hugged him.

Makoto rubbed Haru's back and glanced toward the door as he heard movement. It started to open and he said, "Haru..."

Haruka's head instantly shot up and he stood quickly, trying to prepare himself for whatever news they would give him. His breathing became ragged and he felt a hand slip into his. He looked down and seen Makoto's hand in his. He gave the other a weak smile and was thankful to him for being there. Makoto was such a good friend and he cherished their friendship.

Turning his attention back to the door, he seen a nurse come out and start to walk up to them. Haruka took a deep breath and felt Makoto give his hand a gentle squeeze.


	3. Chapter 3

Haruka felt his heart start to pound in his chest as he watched the nurse walk towards them. This could either be the best news of his life, or the news that would break him. He tried to remain positive, but it was difficult, considering what had already happened.

"Amazingly enough, he has returned to a normal state. It might be crazy, but I think he heard you when you yelled those words. As soon as you were ushered out, his stats started to rise back to normal." The nurse smiled at both Makoto and Haruka warmly.

Haruka felt his knees buckle and he fell to the floor. "Thank you...thank you so much..." Tears spilled from his eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. "Please remember though, he has to remain in the hospital for at least a few good months. His injuries are quite extensive and he will need rehabilitation after his wounds heal. We were lucky to have been able to succeed with his surgeries." The nurse bowed and then left.

Haruka felt Makoto's hand on his back, "Do you need help getting up Haru?" He shook his head and stood up slowly on his own. "Thank you for coming. I don't think I could have did this by myself." Makoto smiled, "Of course...we're best friends after all Haru." Haruka nodded and was about to say something, when he noticed Rin being pushed from the room in a bed. He turned and took a good look at the other male. Was it Rin? He looked so unrecognizable that it broke Haruka's heart. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed Makoto's hand and pulled him down the hallway, following the nurse that was pushing Rin's bed.

Once Haruka and Makoto reached the room, the nurses were done fixing up everything and had left.

Haruka let go of Makoto's hand and slowly walked up to his lover's side. He felt his heart break again at the sight of the other male.

Rin had bandages around his entire head and his left eye was patched up. He had an oxygen mask on, proving that he couldn't breathe on his own yet. His right cheek was incredibly swollen and both his right arm and leg were in slings. Underneath the gown, the entire right side of his rib cage had been shattered, so the only thing holding it together were bandages.

Makoto ran over to the chair and quickly picked it up, while Haru was looking at Rin. He knew that the male would need to sit down.

Haruka clasped a hand over his mouth to stop from crying out and he had to turn away from him. It was too painful to look at him.

"Here Haru..." Makoto set the chair down as quietly as he could next to the bed. He walked over to the raven haired male and gently guided him to the chair. "I think you need to sit down Haru." Haruka nodded and slowly sat down in the chair. Looking over at Rin again, he suddenly felt very tired. "I'm sorry, you probably need to get back and help with your brother and sister." Makoto looked down at Haru as he spoke and the male shook his head. "No. I'm right where I need to be." He lifted his hand and set it on Haruka's shoulder. "I'll be right back though, okay? I'm going to give mom and dad a call." He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and walked out of the room.

Now that they were alone in the room, Haruka looked over at Rin again. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there...maybe if I had went with you, it wouldn't have happened." He sniffled and felt tears start to fall down his cheeks again. The raven had never cried so much before. Then and again, he had never almost lost Rin like this. It scared him to death, that the male could be taken from him so easily.

He leaned forward and reached over, gently stroking Rin's good cheek. "I love you so much...I don't know what I would have did if you would have-" His voice broke off and tears started to pour down his cheeks. He pulled back from the red haired male and wiped the tears away as he sat back down in his chair. He yawned, feeling exhausted.

Sagging deeper into the tall chair, Haruka rested his head back against it and slowly closed his eyes, wanting to rest them for awhile.

A couple of hours pass...

Makoto watched as Haru slept and he smiled. He needed the rest. Especially after such a scare...

He walked up to Rin's bed and sighed, "You really gave us a scare Rin..." He whispered the words and then noticed a nurse come into the room. It was the same nurse from earlier. "He's so tired. You should have seen him when he came in. He was so panicked and upset. Now he looks much more calmer. They're more then friends, aren't they?" Makoto swallowed nervously, unsure of what he should say. The nurse noticed the boy's reaction and all she did was smile. "It's aright. It's not my business, but I hope they find happiness together. He seems like a really sweet kid." Makoto looked over at Haruka and nodded. "Haru is a great friend. He was going to propose to Rin even." "Aw...the poor dear. Well, at least now he'll get the chance to!" She chuckled and started to head towards the door. Stopping and turning back around, she looked over at Haruka. "I'll go get him a bed. It can't be comfortable sleeping like that." Makoto smiled at the nurse and nodded, watching as she disappeared.

Makoto left the room, heading to the cafeteria. He figured that Haru would be hungry when he woke up. He walked to the elevator and hit the button. He let out a long sigh and looked down at the floor. He was happy that Rin was alright. Rin was a good friend of his, but also because of Haru. He loved him so much and Makoto didn't know what he would have done if he had died. Shaking the thought from his mind, Makoto shook his head. He didn't want to think about things like that. What mattered was that Rin was arlight now and so was Haru. Just as the elevator door opened, Makoto took a step forward and bumped into someone. "Oh! I'm sorry!" He looked down and instantly recognized who it was. "Kou?"

The girl looked up when she heard her name and she smiled, "Makoto! How's my brother? Is he okay?" "Yes. He's alright. He's not in good condition though. Haru is in the room with him."

Kou nodded and looked down at the floor. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was stuffy from crying. She had been so worried when she got the phone call. The worst part was that she couldn't even get there fast enough. She had just gotten out of school when they phoned her, so the streets were busy. She sighed in relief and had to lean against the wall for a moment, for support. "They're both sleeping, so I figured I would go and get something for Haru down at the cafeteria. Would you like to come?" Kou nodded and looked up at Makoto. "If they're asleep, then we'd only bother them if we went in now."

Makoto pushed the button for the elvator again and stepped inside when it opened. Kou followed him inside and looked over at him, as she watched him press the main floor button. "How is Haru?" Makoto looked over at Kou and then let his eyes fall onto the elevator floor. "He was in terrible shape when I got here. You have no idea how hard it was to sit there and watch him...not being able to do anything..." Makoto flinched at his own words and rested his head back against the elevator. Kou frowned and walked up to the other. "You were here with him Makoto. That's all he needed. I have never seen Haru upset, he doesn't seem like the type of person that easily gets bothered by things. My brother is really important to him though. Wouldn't you say he's like an angel?" She giggled and smiled up at Makoto. "I mean, he's helped Haru be more human. Wouldn't you agree?" "Yes. I actually do agree. All Haru ever cared about was swimming. Now that Rin has came into the picture though, he's realized that there's more to life." Kou nodded, "Right?" She giggled again, just as the elevator came to a stop and opened up it's doors.

They stepped out and into the hallway, heading towards the cafeteria.

Makoto stopped after a moment and looked up at Kou's back. "Thank you." "Hm?" Kou stopped and looked back at Makoto. "For what?" "For helping me feel better. I really did feel useless back there...I didn't know what to do. What could I have did to make things better?" Kou shook her head and walked up to Makoto. "Nothing. You couldn't have did a single thing. You were there for him though and stayed by his side through it all. That makes you a really good best friend. Haru is lucky to have such a loyal friend like you. My brother is too! Even though he can be a jerk sometimes to you and the others. He's told me that you've always stuck by Haru. That's really amazing Makoto." She smiled up at him and then reached out, taking his hand. "Come on, let's go get some food."

Makoto stood there for a moment, dumbfounded by what Kou had just said to him. No one had ever said such a thing to him. He smiled back at her and nodded.

Back up at the room...

Haruka was jolted awake by the noise of a bed moving. 'Oh no...did something happen when I was sleeping?' He thought the words inside of his head and instantly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times and looked around. Rin's bed was still in the room, but another bed had been placed next to it. An empty bed. "Sorry dear, I didn't mean to wake you. I told your friend that I was going to be bringing a bed for you. That chair isn't comfortable, am I right?" "Oh, uhm...you didn't have to do that. Won't you be needing it?" Haruka looked up at the nurse and slowly stood up. "No. We have other beds. This one is reserved specifically for you, my dear." She smiled at him and then said, "Well, I have to get back to work." She then left the room, closing the door behind herself.

Haruka stepped around to the other side and realized that the nurse had put the bed on Rin's good side. He smiled for the first time since he had arrived there and climbed onto the empty bed. He reached out and gently picked up Rin's left hand. He intertwined their fingers together and bent down, placing a kiss on his lovers hand. "I'm here...I'm not going anywhere either. Not without you."


	4. Chapter 4

A couple of days pass...

"Haru, you've gotta go back home and take some time for yourself!" Kou narrowed her eyes at the raven haired male as she walked up to him. "I'm not leaving him..." Haruka glanced over at Rin and then looked over at his sister. "Makoto! Say something to him!" Makoto blinked and chuckled nervously, "Oh...uh...when Haru says he won't do something, he really won't. When he gets his mind made up, it's impossible." Kou sighed in frustration and looked over at Haruka again. "My brother wouldn't want you to be making such a big deal out of this Haru." Haruka flinched at her words and looked down at the floor. "Kou, can I talk to you?" Makoto motioned for her to follow him out into the hallway. "Hm? Oh, sure..." She stepped out, following him. "What is it Makoto? We've gotta think of a way to get him to go home for a bit." Makoto shook his head. "I think I understand why Haru doesn't want to leave Rin. He wants to be here when he first wakes up. They have him heavily sedated, so if he misses his chance, he may not get another one for quite some time." Kou's face softened and she frowned. "That is true, but Haru needs to go home and shower and get some things that he might need." "Yes, there is that as well..." Makoto lifted his hand and scratched the back of his head, sighing.

Back in the room...

Haruka flinched as the sun started to shine brightly in the room. He turned to get up and close the curtains, when he heard a small movement. He turned back and looked over at Rin. "Rin?" His heart leaped when he seen the other male's good eye flutter. He waited a moment, realizing that it must be difficult to have the strength to do it.

A few moments pass and a smile came to Haruka's lips when he seen Rin open his eye. "Rin!" He reached out and took his good hand in his, squeezing his fingers gently.

"Huh?" Kou heard Haruka in the other room and she ran back inside. "He's awake! Makoto, go get the nurse!" "R-right away!" Makoto turned and started to run down the hallway, to go and get her.

Rin tried to take a deep breath in, but pain exploded out into his entire right side, making him cry out in pain. Tears came to his eyes, the pain being like nothing he had ever experienced before. Feeling someone's hand in his, he tried to turn his head, but pain shot through it and he winced. Why did it hurt everywhere?

"It's okay Rin, I'm here."

Rin managed to turn his head and look over at the other, feeling another gentle squeeze to his hand. He soon realized that it was Haru.

"Big brother! I'm so glad that you're okay!" Kou ran up to the end of the bed and leaned over it, looking down at the red haired male.

"We're all glad that you're okay Rin. You gave us a really bad scare with that accident." Haru smiled down at Rin and intertwined their fingers together.

Rin looked up at Haru, seeing how both his cheeks and eyes were swollen. He frowned and pulled away from Haru, reaching up and gently touching his right cheek. He had never seen Haru cry and had never thought it was possible. A sharp pain shot through his chest and his stats started to rise.

"What's happening?" Kou's eyes widened and she stepped back from the bed. "Did we do something?"

Just then, the nurse stepped into the room, Makoto not too far behind her. Hearing the heart monitor rise, she ordered everyone away from Rin. Haruka let go of his hand reluctantly and followed the others to the other side of the room. "Big brother..." Kou bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself, tears starting to glisten in her eyes. She stepped out into the hallway and Makoto followed her. "He'll be okay. You know as well as the rest of us, that he doesn't give up easily." Kou nodded and glanced back towards the room. Makoto looked at her sadly and stepped up to her, enveloping her in a hug. "It's okay. I'm here for you too, okay?" Kou was surprised by the embrace, but she leaned into the male and nodded into his chest. "Thanks Makoto..."

Haruka watched Makoto and Kou and he would have been happy for them if they weren't in the current situation. Looking back over at the nurse, he watched as she gave Rin a shot. "He has to be heavily sedated like this, because of his extensive injuries. I apologize, but at least you had a bit of time with him." After she was done, she looked over at Haruka and smiled softly. "If something happens and he wakes up again, push this button and one of the nurses will come." She motioned towards the little red button that was sitting next to Rin on his bed. "Alright." Haruka nodded and took note of that in his mind. "You should go home for a bit dear, you could use a break. He shouldn't wake up for at least another ten or twelve hours, so you should be okay to leave." Haruka looked down at the floor, not saying anything in response to her. "I know it's hard. You don't want to leave his side. I'm sure that he wouldn't want you beating yourself up like this though. There's no need to feel guilty, because it could have happened to anyone." She walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, then she smiled again and left the room.

Haruka stood there in place, surprised that she had been able to see right through him like that. He looked over at Rin and stepped up to the bed, taking his hand in his again. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it gently. "I'll be back. I'm just going to run over to the house for a bit." He nuzzled his hand for a moment and then kissed it again, before setting it back down on the bed. Walking around the bed, he ran his fingers through his lovers hair and bent down, kissing his bandaged forehead very softly. "I'll be back, I promise."

Kou sniffled and slowly pulled away from Makoto, her cheeks turning a light pink color. "Thanks for that..." She averted her eyes and looked down at the floor. Makoto smiled and chuckled a bit at her reaction. He was about to say something, when he noticed Haru leaving Rin's room. He blinked a couple of times and then said, "The nurse must have said something to him..." "Hm?" Kou looked up and glanced over, seeing Haruka's retreating back. "Where's he going?" "More then likely, back to their house." "Should one of us go with him?" Makoto shook his head, "No. He needs some time on his own. We should head out for a bit too. That nurse said that Rin would be out for at least another few hours, so we should take this opportunity to head home to get what we need. We could meet back here for around 7 tonight?" Kou smiled and then nodded, "Alright!" Makoto started back towards the entrance and Kou poked her head into Rin's room. "We'll be back later big brother! Sleep well!" She smiled and then ran to catch up with Makoto.


	5. Chapter 5

Haruka walked down the sidewalk and glanced up, realizing that he was home already. He had decided to walk home, since it was a rather calm day outside. It was also a good chance to clear his head.

Walking up to the house, he remembered that he didn't have his keys, because he had been in too much of a rush when he left the house. He gasped, suddenly realizing that the house had been unlocked for the entire time that he had been gone. He quickly ran up to the front door and opened it, hoping that everything was still in it's place.

He stepped inside and sighed in relief as he looked around. Everything seemed to be in order and nothing seemed to have been taken or messed up. He leaned back against the front door as he closed it and looked up at the ceiling. They were incredibly lucky this time.

Yawning a bit tiredly, Haruka walked through the house, making sure that they hadn't really been robbed. He grabbed a few things that he passed, clothes and what not. Then he searched for his gym bag that he could put the stuff in. He found it underneath the bed and set it up on top of a dresser. He set some clothes inside and a pair of clothes for Rin. Even though they wouldn't be needed for awhile, it made the raven feel at ease with the situation.

Haruka picked up a book off of the floor and some pictures fell out of it.

Bending down onto the floor, Haruka inspected them. Most of them were of him and Rin, while others were of their friends. Nagisa and Rei, Kou and her friend, their old teacher and coach, even Rin's old swim team from school.

Gasping, Haruka dropped the pictures onto the floor as he came to realize something. He sat back against the floor with wide eyes. Would Rin ever be able to swim again? "Rin..." Haruka picked up a picture that was of the two of them at a swimming competition. He remembered that day...

Kou had taken the picture. It was the last competition that they raced in and it had only been a few months since then. Haruka's heart started to feel heavy. Rin loved swimming. If he couldn't swim, he'd become depressed. The memory flashed through his mind of the time that Rin was going to give up swimming, because he had been pulled from Samazuka's medley relay.

Leaning back against the bed, Haruka held onto the picture and just stared at it, quickly becoming even more upset. Would he never be able to swim with Rin again?

Some time later...

Haruka sighed, his heart still feeling incredibly heavy. He had to keep this to himself. He didn't want Rin getting upset right now. He had to think of his lovers condition. They would deal with this when the time came.

He stood up and grabbed the pictures, plus the photo albums that sat on the bookshelf in the large room. Haruka wanted something to keep him company while Rin was sleeping. He set the photo albums into the gym bag and then zipped the bag up. Heading to the bathroom, he pulled his shirt off and went to shower.

Back at the hospital...

Rin woke up much sooner then expected and noticed that there was no one in the room. He could very vaguely recall someone...Haru probably, telling him that he would be back. Letting out a sigh, the red haired male whimpered, pain exploding into his side.

A nurse came into the room, the same nurse from the other day. "Oh, you're awake much sooner then you're supposed to be." She chuckled and pulled out a shot from her pocket. "It must be time for another one."

"I don't want it..." Rin frowned, wanting to see Haru when he came. He also wanted the damn oxygen mask off...

"Now dear, you must be in a lot of pain. You've been in an accident after all. You're lucky to even be alive. You were in such a horrible condition when you came in. Then that boy came and was quite upset. Luckily, his friend came and helped him get through it." She pondered over something for a moment and then said, "Hm...I wonder...did you happen to hear him?" "Huh?" Rin looked up at her the best he could, without moving his head too much. "Oh, well, when you flat lined, he yelled something out at you. It might be crazy, but I think you heard him. Your stats instantly lifted and soon returned to normal." Rin listened to her carefully and shook his head, wincing while he did so. "I don't remember..."

The nurse chuckled softly and shook her own head, "No, of course you don't. I don't even know why I asked you such a thing." She was about to insert the shot into Rins intervenice, when he spoke. "Please don't..." The nurse glanced over at him and smiled, "I know that you want to see him, but you also need your rest. You have a pretty serious head injury and we're lucky that you don't have amnesia. On top of that, both your leg and arm are broken, some of the bones broken into pieces. Then there's the one side of your rib cage. It's entirely shattered. The only thing holding it together right now is the bandages that we applied."

Rin's heart monitor started to rise and the nurse smiled, "You're alive though, for some reason we were incredibly blessed with that. You have many people that care about you, so that's a good thing right? This is just a light dose, so you shouldn't be out for the entire day, alright? I didn't tell you your current condition to stress you, dear. I told you, because maybe you'll co operate with us a little better. Think of your friends too. They want to see you get better. You'll get a chance to see them, but just be patient. Your body needs to have time to heal and the only way it can do that is when you're resting. You're going to be here for quite some time, so you'd better get used to it." She chuckled, hoping that he knew the last part was a joke. Rin nodded, watching as she put the shot in his intervenice. His good eye started to flutter and he was soon thrown back into darkness.

The nurse smiled as she watched the boy's heart rate return to normal. "Thank goodness...try to take care of yourself better. You have people that care about you after all." She pulled the blankets around him a bit better and then left the room to go tend to her other patients.

The hours drag by slowly...

Haruka was back at the hospital, feeling a bit better being in the room. He had brought some things from the house, since he knew that Rin would be there for awhile. The room had looked so dreary and bare...

A couple of pictures were sitting on the stand next to Rin's bed. A group picture of Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, Kou, Rin, Haruka and coach Wasabi. On the other side was a rather intimate picture of Haruka holding Rin in his arms.

On the other side of the room, there was a rather large stand that stood there and Haruka had put more pictures there. Before he had went back to the hospital, he had went to get some pictures enlarged. Since Rin wouldn't be able to leave the bed for who knows how long, Haruka put it upon himself to at least try to make the room cheerful for him. Pictures of them having fun at the beach and at festivals lingered on the stand. Haruka had even brought Rin's favorite stuffy. He would never admit it to anyone, but he liked to sleep with a stuffy. It was the dolphin that Haruka had won for him at the last festival they had went to. It wasn't too big, but Rin loved it just the same.

Then there was the pictures that Haruka had brought with him. He had set them in one of the stands drawers, planning on looking through them with Rin, when he was able to.

Taking a look around the room, Haruka smiled at his work. He then looked down at the clock that he had brought. There was still an hour before Makoto and Kou would be back.

Makoto had texted Haruka, telling him that they would be back at the hospital for 7 that night. He was so thankful for having a friend like Makoto. He really was an amazing best friend. Just then, he heard a noise come from behind him. Glancing back, Haruka smiled. "Rin!" He walked up to the male's right side of the bed and looked down at him, "Welcome back..." "Thanks..." Rin looked up at Haruka and smiled weakly. "I can't stand this stupid mask..." He growled in annoyance and reached up with his good hand, trying to take it off. "Rin stop! You can't breathe without that right now!" Haruka gently pushed the other's hand away from the mask. "Please stop..." Rin looked up at Haruka and frowned. "Please don't cry...I'll stop." He stopped trying to fight Haruka and reached up to the other male's face, wiping away the few tears that had trickled down his cheek. "I've never seen you cry before Haru..." Haruka averted his eyes and then said, "I've never almost lost you..." Rin felt his heart break a bit and he pulled away from the other, his heart monitor starting to rise again. "I'm sorry, Haru...I didn't plan for it to happen. He came out of nowhere..." Haruka noticed the monitor and placed a hand on the top of Rin's head, "It's alright. You're here and that's all that matters. You're in pretty bad shape, but that's okay. We have each other now." He grabbed Rin's good hand and squeezed it gently. Pulling it to his lips, he kissed it gently. "I thought I was going to lose you..." Haruka's voice broke and he had to look away from the red haired male. "I'm here Haru...like you said, that's all that matters." Rin's cheeks turned a light pink from Haruka's kiss on his hand and he looked away, feeling embarrassed. Haruka looked down at Rin and chuckled a bit, noticing his reaction. He glanced up at the heart monitor and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

A little while later...

Makoto met up with Kou at the entrance and smiled. "Hey..." "Hi again!" She giggled and swung her purse over her shoulder as she walked. "Have you heard from Haru?" "Yeah, he's been up with Rin for awhile now. He just texted me not too long ago." "Oh, well that's good then." She smiled and then looked down at the floor as they walked, going quiet.

They reach the elevator and Makoto reaches out, pushing the button that will take them up to Rin's floor. He glances over at Kou, to find her lost in thought. "Is everything alright? Or did something happen?" Kou shakes her head and forces a smile to her face as she looks over at him. "No, everything is fine." The elevator doors open and she steps inside, followed by Makoto. Kou reaches out and hits the 8th floor button, watching as the elevator door closes.

The elevator ride was completely silent.

Kou was the first to step out of the elevator and Makoto raised an eyebrow, starting to get worried now. Maybe she was upset about Rin? There was also the more obvious thing to contemplate...was she avoiding him for some reason? Walking down to Rin's room, Makoto was the last one to enter. He noticed how it seemed more brighter in the room. "Oh..." He looked around and seen Kou doing the same. They seen the pictures on the stands and then looked over, noticing the two males sleeping side by side, holding hands. A small dolphin stuffy was in the middle of them.

Kou giggled and ran up, inspecting the dolphin. "Since when do they sleep with this?" She whispered the words and soon felt Makoto by her side. "Maybe that's what Haru meant..." He chuckled quietly. "Hm? What he meant?" Kou stepped away from the beds, going to inspect the pictures next. "Yeah...Haru and Rin went to a festival a couple of months back and Haru said that ever since, they had an extra bed buddy. He must have won that toy for Rin." "My big brother is such a kid sometimes..." "It's just important to him, because Haru got it for him." Kou stopped looking at the pictures and looked over at Makoto. "Well yeah, that makes sense." She giggled quietly, "I just never knew that he slept with a stuffy. It's cute." She smiled and went back to looking at the pictures.

Makoto joined her and he noticed how Kou would step aside when he stood next to her. "Kou...are you bothered by me?" "What?!" The question caught her off guard and she raised her voice when she spoke. She bit her lip, hearing movement behind them. "What are you yelling about? Rin is trying to rest." Haruka stepped up to both Makoto and Kou. "If you're going to be noisy, get out." He narrowed his eyes at them both and Makoto swallowed nervously. "Yes, Haru...how about we come back tomorrow? We just came to see how things were." Kou nodded in agreement with Makoto and glanced over at her brother, who seemed to be sleeping still. She sighed in relief and turned her attention back to Haruka. "Yes. Has he woken up at all?" "He did. A couple of hours ago. Then he was able to go back to sleep without the nurse giving him a shot." Kou smiled, "That's great! Well, I guess I'll be going then." She started to walk to the doorway, but then stopped and looked back. "Oh, that's right." She pulled her purse down from her shoulder and pulled out two containers that were saran wrapped. "I made you some food. I figured that you would be hungry. Also, you did a great job with my big brother's room. See you tomorrow!" She handed Haruka the food and then stepped out, leaving the room.

Makoto watched Kou leave and knew that this was his chance to confront her. "That girl is too noisy..." Makoto chuckled quietly at Haruka's words and then looked over at him. "I'm glad that Rin is doing better. I hope he continues to do so." He smiled at Haruka and then ran from the room. He stopped outside the doorway and looked back towards Haruka. "Oh! I forgot! I went to your house before coming here, looking for you. The door was locked, so I walked around back and happened to find this." Makoto walked back into the room and put his hand inside of his shorts pocket, pulling out a little white box. "You'll be needing this right?" Haruka gasped, "Where did you find it?" "It was outside in the grass. I figured that you must have dropped it." Haruka nodded and looked up at Makoto. "I was thinking about how I was going to ask him, when I suddenly got the phone call." Glancing back at Rin, Haruka had a sad look in his eyes. Makoto smiled over at the raven haired male and shook his head. "He's alright though Haru..." He reached out and handed Haruka the box. "Anyhow...uh...I have something I have to go do. I'll see you tomorrow." He waved at Haruka as he walked from the room and disappeared from view.

Haruka stood there with both the food and ring box in his hands, sighing softly. "I think they're a perfect match, really. I just wonder what Rin will think of it..."


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Makoto left the room, he started to run down the hallway. He needed to catch up to Kou.

He got to the elevators, but she wasn't there, meaning that she was already on her way home. Quickly pushing the button, he hoped that the elevator would arrive soon.

Kou let out a loud sigh as she walked down the street. She didn't know what to think of this and wasn't wanting to think much about it. There was no way that she could date one of her big brother's friends. She looked down at the ground as she walked and a frown came to her face. She really liked Makoto though and that hug from him the other day just confirmed her feelings. She had been confused about them for the longest time and she was happy to finally understand what they meant. At the same time though, she felt conflicted. She had known Makoto for such a long time, did she really want to put their friendship in jeopardy like this? First of all, she didn't even know how the male felt about her and it wasn't like she could just waltz up to him and be all, "I was wondering if you liked me."

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Kou looked up and realized that she was almost home. It felt so lonely back at the house, since Rin was in the hospital. He had never lived there with her, but it felt even more emptier for some reason. Haruka and him would always come over for dinner or to just hangout and she missed their company. She liked Haruka. He cared a lot for her brother and it never bothered her that Rin had chosen a man over a woman. Regardless of his sexuality, he was still her brother and she loved him more then anything. Haruka also made her brother happy and she was content with that. She seen how happy they were and hoped that some day she could find someone to be like that with.

Thinking about that, Kou's thought's wondered back to Makoto. She stopped walking and looked up at the dark sky. "Ugh...why?" She let out another loud sigh and hung her head, her bangs falling in front of her face. This was proving to be more difficult then she thought.

Makoto ran down the street, thankful that he knew where Kou lived. After running what felt like miles, he finally seen her familiar back. "Kou!" He stopped not too far from her and tried to catch his breath. Luckily, he was still in shape thanks to swimming, so he wasn't too out of breath.

Kou blinked a couple of times when she heard her name being called and she turned around, seeing Makoto run up to her. "Makoto? What are you doing here?" She thought that he would still be at the hospital with Haruka and her big brother.

"More importantly, why are you walking home alone in the dark? Rin would be furious at you!" He narrowed his eyes at her a bit and then frowned. "I wanted to talk to you, that's why I'm here."

Kou looked at the other and bit the side of her lip a bit nervously when he mentioned Rin. Of course he would be mad, but what he didn't wouldn't hurt him, right? She averted her eyes and looked down at the ground, until she heard what Makoto said next. Her heart fluttered a bit and she could feel it start to pound in her chest. She hoped that the other couldn't hear it. "About what?" She cursed herself in her mind that she couldn't say anything better, but that's all that her brain could conjure up right now. It was like her brain was on hold or something and she hated it.

"You've been avoiding me..." "N-no I haven't! I mean, we were just at the hospital together weren't we?" "That's not what I mean Kou. Every time I stepped close to you, you would step away from me. You've been keeping your distance from me and I think I've figured out why." Makoto looked up at her again and started to close the space between them.

Kou started to freak out and didn't know what to do. He had found somehow! To be honest, she was hoping that he would be kind of dense, but she should have known better. She backed up and turned around, planning on walking away from him. Her legs wouldn't move though. It was like they were cemented to the ground. 'Move dammit, move!' The voice was screaming at her inside of her head, but her feet clearly didn't want to co operate. She gave up and just stood there, looking down at the ground.

Makoto closed the space between him and Kou, slowly walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "You have feelings for me don't you?" Kou's face turned bright red and she was thanking the fact that they weren't underneath a street light. Feeling his arms around her, she could feel her heart start to pound even harder against her chest. She was most certain that Makoto could hear it and she bit the side of her lip again.

After a moment, Kou gasped out loud and her head snapped up. "Wait...does that mean...that y-you..." She pulled away from Makoto and turned to face him, not caring anymore if he seen her red face. "Yes. I like you too." Makoto looked up at Kou and smiled, seeing her red face. Chuckling, he stepped up to her again and looked down at her. "Are you getting a fever? You're face is red..." He teased Kou as he leaned forwards, reaching up and moving her bangs away from her face. "You know why it's red..." Kou averted her eyes and felt her face grow even warmer. " Makoto chuckled again and kissed her forehead softly. "H-hey! Don't you know how to kiss a girl?" Makoto blinked and pulled away from Kou, tilting his head slightly. Looking at her, he could tell that she was just as nervous as he was. "Alright, alright..." He chuckled and leaned forward again, pulling Kou into his arms and placing his lips on hers.

Kou's stomach instantly burst with butterflies and her eyes fluttered shut. She didn't actually think that he was going to kiss her. She had never kissed anyone before, so she figured that she was doing it horribly.

After a moment, she was the first to pull away, gasping for air and trying to slow her heart rate down. She opened her eyes and looked up at Makoto. "That was my first kiss..." Makoto's eyes widened. "Eh?" Kou nodded and slowly started to pull away from the other, starting to feel embarrassed in this position. "Rin is going to kill me..." Makoto sighed and looked over at Kou, letting her pull away. "At least I'll die a happy person, since I got to kiss the girl I like." Kou started to blush again and looked away, "Like I'd let my big brother do that. I like you too much to let that happen." Her face turned even more pink, the more she spoke.

"Then say yes!" "Huh? To what?" "Uh...to me asking you out..." Kou blinked, "You never asked me out though..." It was Makoto's turn to blush this time and he suddenly started to feel shy. "Oh...well...would you like to...go out...with me?" He frowned, not feeling very accomplished with that. She wouldn't want a guy who didn't even have the guts to ask her out. He sighed and started to turn away, knowing that she would say no.

Kou thought about it for a moment and then a smile came to her lips as she ran up to Makoto. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and giggled. "Yes!" "Hm?" Makoto glanced behind, surprised when she had ran up and hugged him. "I said yes silly!" "Oh...Oh!" Makoto suddenly felt very childish. It didn't matter how he had asked her. All that mattered was that he had asked her. Smiling, he pulled away from Kou, so that he could turn around and face her. He picked her up in his arms and hugged her.

Setting her back down after a moment, something came to his mind. "There's only one thing we have to worry about now." "What's that?" She giggled, looking up at Makoto. "How your brother will react to this." Kou giggled again and shook her head. "He may come across as really over protective, but my big brother just wants me to be with someone that will treat me right. He might give you a big lecture, but I'm sure he won't be too hard on you. He knows you after all. So it won't be like the other boys." "Other boys?" "Yes. You have no idea how many boys my big brother has scared off..." Makoto chuckled nervously, "Well, I'm glad that I'm not like them then..." Kou nodded and looked over at Makoto, smiling. "Would you like to come in?" She motioned over to a house that was about a block away. "Of course..." Makoto reached out and slipped his hand into Kou's as he started to walk with her down the street.


End file.
